


Watch the World Burn: Cry Havoc

by LadyCorvidae, roseforthethorns



Series: Watch the World Burn [5]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Revenge, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-26
Updated: 2012-08-30
Packaged: 2017-11-12 23:10:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/496690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyCorvidae/pseuds/LadyCorvidae, https://archiveofourown.org/users/roseforthethorns/pseuds/roseforthethorns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fifth in the 'Watch the World Burn' Verse... Sebastian is kidnapped... and Jim will tear apart Heaven, Hell, and Earth to get his Tiger back.</p><p>(I own nothing of these characters. All Sherlock rights go to the BBC, Moffat, and Gatiss. I'm just having some fun.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Through the Flames

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Tracy, really thanks a ton.
> 
> I am, as always, indebted to my co-writer, ladycorvidae.

Smoke and fire spewed from the ruined warehouse, millions of dollars in drugs and other equipment up in flames. Gunfire and screaming shattered the air, and through it all, like some sort of demon in a fine suit, walked James Moriarty, Consulting Criminal. His impeccable Westwood was stained with blood, and his face was grim and hard. A man, hands tied behind him with barbed wire and flanked by two guards, his equally fine clothing stained with blood and ash, was on his knees on the concrete, gibbering in pain and terror. With a motion of his hand, Jim had the guards haul the man to his feet; he took a delicate knife from the pocket of his trousers and flicked it open, admiring the way the glow of the flames was reflected in the blade before he turned his attention back to the man in front of him. His arm went out, the blade arced down with a flash, and the man in front of him screamed shrilly in agony; a sizable lump of flesh hit the concrete with a wet splat. He begged and pleaded for Jim to stop, but the consulting criminal's lips quirked up into a smile, which just made him more terrifying. Once he was quite sure he had the other man's attention, Jim began to speak.

"This is just the beginning. You have crossed every line, broken every treaty and every rule... and now you are paying the price for it. I've been told I'm the Devil, and I have come to _collect_. You will be something even the maggots won't touch by the time I'm through with you. I will ask you again, and you had better answer me. _Where. Is. Sebastian_?"


	2. Target

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebby has to do the shopping, but it would have been better if he'd not left Jim's side

"Why do _I_ have to go out and get the shopping? Don't you have minions just for that?"

" _Because_ , Tiger-love, you're the only one I trust to get it right. Everyone else would just botch it up to hell and back, and I honestly don't feel like holding interviews for replacements after our honeymoon," Jim said, from where he was sprawled in the chair in their private villa.

The blonde man groaned, rolling over on the sofa. "Then get it yourself. I was napping."

"If you go and get it... I'll let you top tonight...."

Seb was sitting upright in less than a second. "You're fucking with me..."

"Noooo, that would be your job. _If_ you do as I ask and get the shopping."

A slow smirk spread across Sebastian's face as he stood and sauntered over to his husband; he leaned over the man, his lips barely brushing his cheek and then his ear. "Just you _wait_ , Magpie. I'm gonna make you _scream_ for me."

Jim captured Seb's lips with his own for a blazing kiss. "Ooh, I just _bet_ you will," he purred.

Holding his lover's face, the sniper took what he wanted, gaining control for a brief moment before pulling away, hopping on one foot as he pulled on his sandals and grabbed his wallet and handgun. "Anything in particular we need other than what's on the list?" he asked, tuning to the door.

"Pick up some chocolate syrup, will you, dove? We can use it later. And some jalapeños. We can use those too," Jim called after him, a wicked smile curving his lips.

Sebastian had to squash down a particularly strong stab of lust with a groan, using the doorframe for support. "You're an utter wanker, you know that?"

"Of course I do. Now... the sooner you leave, the sooner you get back. Take care, Tiger."

"Always, Boss."

Jim settled into his chair with a smile as he heard the door close behind Seb.

oOoOo

The sun beat down on his blonde curls as Seb strode through the town, a faint smile playing across his features. They'd only been here five days, and he almost never wanted to go back to England (though, secretly, he'd never have any home other than their flat). The ex-soldier had Jim to himself here, and that felt like such a rarity since the man was _always_ working. Shaking his head and already planning how he wanted to draw out the post shopping shag, the sniper ducked into the nearest grocer to pick up what they needed... including the new items.

The three agents for the Arroyo cartel had been tailing the tall blonde man for about three minutes now. "Is this the mark?" one asked another in rapid Spanish. He received an affirmative. "All right. Let's take him down and retrieve him. Quick and clean, no mess. The Leader wants him alive and unhurt. For now." The three men wore matching smiles; if The Leader wanted him alive and unhurt, it just meant worse for the man later. With a signal, they took their places.

Dropping a few extra coins on the counter and thanking the cashier, Seb stepped back out into the street, checking his surroundings out of habit and spotting a stall selling what looked like miniatures of some of Jim's favorite toys. Instead of turning back to his waiting lover, the blonde walked the few paces to the vendor, picking up a particularly detailed model of Jim's favorite pocket knife.

_Cock the dart gun. Take careful aim. Check to see if the others are in position. Inhale, finger on the trigger, safety off, weapon primed. Exhale, squeeze. **Bingo**._

With a soft -thip-, the dart struck the tall blonde man in the neck. The two others took their places when he swayed as the drug began to take effect. They caught him as he toppled forward, dragging him to the unmarked van parked in a nearby alleyway, the larger man's groceries laying scattered in the street. The tall blonde was bound hand and foot, blindfolded and gagged, and the van roared off to the secret compound where The Leader and his team of... _experts_ was awaiting their arrival.


	3. Better Off Sleeping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian wakes and Jim realized something's wrong

When Sebastian woke, it was more of being dragged back into consciousness, all senses on alert and eyes wide open; he was breathing as if he'd just run a marathon and tried unsuccessfully to make out shapes in the darkness of the room he was in. The last thing he could remember was looking for his change to buy the model knife for Jim... _oh fuck_...

"Oh, so glad to see that our _guest_ is awake," said a voice, heavily Spanish-accented English. "We know you work for one James Moriarty. You will be telling us everything we wish to know. And if you don't comply..." There was the whine of high-powered electric prods being charged up. "Well. We shall say that things will be getting very painful, very quickly."

oOoOo

_Jim looked at the clock and frowned. It had been nearly an hour and a half. Surely it wouldn't take Seb more than fifteen minutes to get the groceries, especially with the promise that was waiting for him when he came home. A cold touch of fear ran through him. Something was wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. The shorter man stood and began barking orders into his ever-present mobile phone. Time to use his web to find out what had happened._

oOoOo

Centering himself and focusing his breathing, Seb's eyes darted to the source of the voice, clenching his jaw. He was aware of the duct tape over his mouth now and was not about to give them the satisfaction of even the impression of begging.

"Look at that _defiance_. Clearly, your name of _El_ _Tigre_  is well earned. But, of course, big cats can be tamed." With a quick jab, a cattle prod was sunk into Seb's side and held there.

Seb's breathing hitched and shallowed as he struggled to twist away from the electric current running through his body. The man holding the prod held it... and held it... and held it, only removing the prod when he got the nod from The Leader. The blonde sagged in the chair as he took slow, deep breaths through his nose. Mother _fucker_ that hurt.

"Do you have anything you want to say now?" the man asked, ripping the tape off of Seb's mouth none-too-gently.

Snarling and working his jaw, the man's blue gaze went icy as he stared at the man, memorizing every detail he could quickly but keeping silent.

His captor smirked. "I thought not. Continue," he said to the men around Seb. The prods were charged once more, and this time, three of them were applied to the sniper's flesh.

oOoOo

 _"Tell me again where he was last seen. And tell me_ everything _that happened," Jim said, trying mightily to retain his temper and failing. The informant nervously repeated the information; Seb had been at the market, groceries in hand when he'd just..._ fallen _.  A few men had caught and dragged him away in an unmarked van in a south-easterly direction._

 _Jim ended the call and began to pace, his mind working on overdrive. Drug cartel, had to be. But which one? Obviously a new one; the veterans here all knew him by reputation, and they knew better than to deal with him. They would have warned the newbie away, but this man had a fatal, damning flaw: hubris. Jim snarled and punched the wall, earning bloody knuckles for his trouble. Fine. They wanted to play? Then he would_ play _._

oOoOo

It was agony: Seb hadn't even been close to this much pain when Jim had branded him or given him his stripes. He thought he must be getting soft or losing his tolerance if he was tearing up over just a bit of electricity, but then the voltage jumped and he roared, thrashing against his bonds.

"Listen to _El_ _Tigre_ _'s_ roar! Strong animal, very strong. Although I think we should try something different now," the Leader said, having the men step back and turn off the prods.Sebastian spat blood from biting his cheek onto the dirty floor, a snarl etched into his features; if looks could kill, his captor would have been dead. The Leader nodded and the first man stepped out of the shadows, hefting a wooden plank with nails driven into it at various intervals. He cocked his head to the side, as if judging something, then swung, catching Seb in the arm. The sniper was yelling, barely aware of the sound through the haze of pain as the jagged metal dragged through his flesh. _Tiger has new stripes_ he found himself thinking before it was torn free and sunk back into his skin and muscle from a different angle.

One strike. Two. Five. Eight. The ministrations were only stopped when the Leader held up his hand. "Enough. Enough, _mis Águilas_. We do not want to damage him permanently so quickly. It is time to change our location; he has been here too long," he said. Seb was roughly hauled from the chair and bound once more, complete with blindfold and gag. He was bundled away into another van and they set off to God only knew where.


	4. Drip... Drop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old torture and a panicked man

There were no seatbelts in the back of the van, and if it weren't for the men on either side of him, Sebastian would have gone flying forward into the wall of the vehicle several times. The wounds on his arms ached and trickled blood down his skin, and it was difficult o breathe from the burns and brands on his side; the fabric of his shirt had essentially disintegrated around the shiny skin. Unable to focus long enough to get a decent bearing on their location, he let his thoughts stray to Jim. The man had to be worried sick now, probably calling in all his favors in an attempt to find the sniper. Seb suddenly had to force back tears that threatened to spill over. They were on their _honeymoon_ , a time to celebrate and revel in each other... he hadn't even said he'd loved the man before he left. But Jim knew. Seb knew the genius knew that, but some deep part of him still wished he'd said the words.

oOoOo

Back at the villa, Jim was frantic. No one knew exactly where Seb was, and Jim knew that every hour, every minute, every _second_ lessened his chances at finding his husband. He was very tempted to break everything in the place to make himself feel better, but he knew it wouldn't help. He hadn't even said goodbye.... and now he didn't know if he'd ever see his husband again. They were on their _honeymoon,_ for fuck's sake. This was supposed to be a _happy_ time.

He gave a bitter laugh. He was a monster; they both were. They weren't supposed to be happy... or love, and yet they did. Jim took a deep breath to fight off the sudden harsh sting of tears. His eyes hardened. He would get his husband back. He would, even if he had to tear this world and the next apart to do it.

oOoOo

When the van pulled to a stop, the men grabbed Seb by his injured arm and dragged him out. The sun had set, and the cooler, heavier night air was refreshing against his face as he was led inside and bound to another chair. He wiped his face clean of all expression before the blindfold came off, the light overhead overloading his eyes so that he couldn't see a thing

"Our next surprise for you is one that is old... but it still works well," the Leader said. Drip... drip.... drip.... water, falling at an uneven pace to hit Seb's forehead. Icy cold and unpredictable.

The blonde rolled his eyes, shaking the droplets off easily until he felt how dry his mouth was; suddenly, all of his thoughts seemed to be focused on the water falling to his skin but not his bound lips.

"Torturing is hard work. I think we all need a break, yes?" the Leader said. His men gave a murmur of agreement... and one by one, they left, Leaving a guard outside the door, and the lights off.

As soon as he was alone, Seb relaxed slightly in his chair, giving his body a few minutes of much needed rest. His eyes adjusted slowly after the bright light blinding them and slowly realized the true magnitude of his situation: wounded, injuries untended, undergoing torture, separated from Jim, isolated, in the dark (literally), and with next to no chance of ever seeing much less talking to or touching or kissing his husband again. The ring on his finger almost seemed to burn his hand, a constant reminder of everything he stood to lose.

oOoOo

Jim paced and cursed. He had to wait, now. And he _hated_ waiting. The ring around his finger was a heavy weight, a reminder: _you should have sent someone else. Someone less important. But_ no _, you had to send your husband. And now... now you'll be lucky if you'll see him again_. Jim went white. No. No, no, _no_. He refused to even entertain the thought that he wouldn't ever see Seb again. He _refused_. He looked at the clock. Eight hours. It had been eight hours since he had sent Seb to do the shopping. Eight. Long. Hours. He took a breath. If he could wait for three years... he guessed he could wait a little longer. He _would_ find Seb... and he would _end_ the bastards who took him.


	5. The Devil will Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No sleep, no water, moving to another location... poor Sebastian

Sebastian didn't sleep. He was furious and exhausted, but every time he was about to drop off: plop... plop.......... ploplop... It was infuriating. So, not only did he not get any rest, he also didn't have any of the water to _drink_ , and his throat was starting to give him trouble.

It was a long long time before the Leader and his men came back, at least four hours though it was closer to five. "Did you rest well?" the man said, his face in a humorless grin. "No? Oh, That's too bad." He - _tsk'd_ \- and had the other men remove the bucket of water. Seb was once more manhandled, bound, gagged and blindfolded. "Now, we go."

 _How much longer can these bastards keep it up_? the blonde thought, trying very hard to nod off as they threw him back into the van. Every time the guards caught Seb falling asleep, they rewarded the blonde man with a sharp punch, slap, or kick to the ribs with their heavily booted feet. "No rest, none for you," one of the guards said.

He snarled through the gag, attempting to hit one of the men with his shoulder; the guards laughed and spoke to each other in rapid-fire Spanish before one of them kicked Seb solidly in the groin. His blue eyes crossed as he involuntarily curled up into a ball, cursing in every language he knew.

The rest of the ride went on in silence, save for the roar of the engine and the squeal of the tires as they took corners too fast. Sebastian was able to catch snippets of the conversation as they threw him into a room, cutting his bonds and slamming a door. He removed his blindfold and gag himself only to be dismayed at the sight of bars... _everywhere_.

"Do you like your new room? I thought it fitting," the Leader said, laughing at his own joke. "The perfect setting for _El_ _Tigre._ "

"It's a cage," Seb spat, voice gravelly from disuse.

"Oooh, finally, he speaks! Very well done. So you're _not_ just the dumb hired muscle. Very good, very good."

"If you think you'll actually get away with this..." Seb started to cackle, voice breaking and setting off a round of racking coughs, "the _Devil_ is coming for you, and he is not merciful."

The Leader laughed, but there was a faint air of disquiet among his men. They had heard the rumors; no one who worked in the underworld of crime hadn't. The short Irishman who made even the most hardened of convicts cringe, that made the toughest murderers shiver and beg for their mothers. The Leader, however, didn't seem to care. "Then let _El Diablo_ come. Let him fetch his _pet_ back himself. And then I will catch and cage him too, and everyone will say how Tomas Marron has caught the Devil and made him do his bidding!" the Leader said, not caring that he was revealing his true name to the husband of the most dangerous man the world had ever seen.

"Tomas Marron? More like food unfit for carrion by the time James Moriarty has finished with you. I may be 'El Tigre', but he's the true animal."

The Leader smirked. "We shall see." He turned on his heel and left, waving a hand to some unseen guard. A switch was flipped.

Sebastian lept back from the bars he'd nearly been gripping as they sizzled and cracked. More electricity... just fucking perfect. He dropped to the floor of the cell and curled up in the very center, as far from the metal as possible.

"I'd say sleep well, but... I don't think tigers do well inside cages. Do you?"

"Go fuck yourself, Carrion."

The man just walked out, laughing. The door behind him clanged shut with a metallic sort of finality.

Seb was left alone.


	6. Informant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They just might find Sebby yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The text in italics in this chapter is in 'Spanish'

Jim  oscillated his head. "No, not insane. Having a death wish? Certainly. Insane? No. Stupid? Most _definitely_ ," he hissed, gripping his mobile phone tightly, so tightly that the casing almost shattered. Sebby was still nowhere to be found; he had used every single one of his men stationed in South America to find him, and they were coming up empty handed, one by one. Jim was increasingly closer to being in true despair; if they couldn't find him... then there was very little chance left that he was alive.

oOoOo

" _The Arroyo Cartel?"_

_"Yeah, that's the one."_

_"Are they fucking insane?"_

_"Apparently."_

_"But the warehouse-"_

_"QUIET, imbecile! DO you_ want _to lose your nuts_?"

The spy pricked his ears up. " _Warehouse? What warehouse are you talking about? Is there work there?_

The men sent him a withering look. " _If you're looking to die, then yes. It's perfect."_

_"Why do you say that? Is the work there dangerous?"_

_"Dangerous?! They have_ El Tigre _there."_

 _"El_  Tigre _? Where would they find a tiger?"_

The man shook his head. " _A man called_ El Tigre _. The only way the Boss knows to take down the Irish prick._ "

The informant's eyes widened in mock shock, the gesture convincing enough to fool the other men. " _What?! No! Not possible_."

The shorter of the two took a long drag from his cigarette. " _Easy for his reputation. Gonna break any hour now. Prods, nails, no water-_ "

" _Seriously. Are you_ looking _for them to come after you? Shut your face!"_

" _Thanks, I've heard all I needed. No way am I going to work there. I'm not_ stupid," the informant said, chuckling nervously. Inwardly, though, he was trembling with relief. They had found Sebastian... now he could report back to Jim.

The younger man watched him leave, looking back at his partner. " _Scared him off_."

" _Yeah, we did. He's the smart one, getting out while he can. Well, come on. Time to give_ El Tigre _some more stripes_."

oOoOo

The informant's fingers trembled as he dialed the number. "Mr. Moriarty, sir? We... we found him. The warehouse in a small mountain town. Yes. Yes, I have the GPS in my phone. I'll send you the coordinates."

Jim exhaled as he hung up and took down the location of where his Seb was being held... over rough country, and very well hidden. It would take time to get there, and they would need to go by road; it would take nearly a day. Anything else would tip them off, but he allowed himself to hope. Seb was still alive. And that was all that mattered.


	7. Not Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim still hasn't gotten there as Seb's situation grows more dire

The sun rose with impossible intensity for the morning, its rays more a burden than a blessing on Seb's worn face. He'd not slept, eaten, or drunk anything since his capture, and he'd been forced to relive himself on some newsprint left in one corner of the cage. The men poked and prodded him with sticks if he began to show signs of nodding off, and his arm was starting to turn red from the gouges left by the nails. The Leader sauntered into the room and smirked. " _Buenos dias, _El_ _Tigre__. I trust you slept well?" he said. "It appears that your employer has forgotten you. Otherwise he would have been here by now. Perhaps he has grown... _bored_ with his toy?"

Not moving a muscle, Seb focused his attention on the ring around his finger, letting it comfort and assuage the niggling doubts. Jim _really_ should have found him by now. "You seem to forget-" he rasped, "-that those who keep Moriarty's interest are _never_ cast aside."

"Yes, but maybe he has lost that interest. Maybe you have lost that... that spark. 'The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture', I have heard."

"I have a very good reason to believe otherwise." Seb tried in vain to gather even a tiny amount of saliva to swallow and soothe his aching throat.

"That remains to be seen. He really _should_ have been here by now. So sad, _El_ _Tigre_."

"If you keep repeating yourself, I will just have to find a way out of this cage and silence you," the blonde snarled, glaring up at his captor for the first time that day.

The Leader chuckled. "I'd like to see you try. The voltage of the bars was increased twofold during the night. If you grab it to try and break out, you will be... how do you say... _fried_."

Seb's already parched throat and mouth went dry. " _What_ is the point then of keeping me? If Moriarty has lost interest, surely I'm worth nothing to you."

"We'll keep you for a while longer. Then, we'll send your head and hands to him. A warning."

The sniper clenched his ring hand. "Then leave me be to... _ponder_ my fate," he growled

The other man nodded once. "And so we shall." He turned on his heel and left.

oOoOo

Jim was sitting in one of the cars that made up the convoy that was going to fetch Seb, clutching at the dashboard and snarling. "We should have been there by now," he said, keeping his voice carefully controlled. The driver swallowed hard.

"We should reach the warehouse in another few hours," he said. Jim whipped his head around to face him.

"I do not _have_ a few hours. For all I know, he could be dead _now_. And if he is-" his voice went ice cold. "-if he is, then pray to whatever god you see fit."

oOoOo

 _Why aren't you here yet, love_? Seb thought, pacing his prison. He knew he should be conserving his strength, but at that moment, it was taking everything he had _not_ to fiddle with the ring on his finger. The last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to it. His head and his hands... his _head_ and his _hands_... The ex-soldier really didn't fancy decapitation as a punishment, but these men were twisted enough to chop off his hands before his head, make him suffer before he died.

Dropping to the ground and shoving tears away, Sebastian curled up once more and cradled his wounded arm, surreptitiously tearing strips from his shirt and binding the gashes. He _would_ survive this. They would see.


	8. Where. Is. Sebastian?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the warehouse...

The hours dragged like centuries., but finally... _finally_ they were coming up to the village, and the warehouse was easy to find after that. The cars parked in places that wouldn't be noticed and the men began pouring out and sneaking up to surround the great ugly building. Jim straightened his suit and walked to the warehouse, his jaw clenched. Tomas stood in the doorway of the warehouse, fully aware that his men were moving the captive as the small Irishman approached. "Well, well, Mr. Moriarty... I thought you had not taken up our challenge."

"I will give you fifteen seconds to return him. And if you do not... you will rue the day your cunt of a mother ever even thought of your conception," Jim hissed, his voice low and cold.

"Such a mouth on you. I can see why _El_ _Tigre_ spoke the way he did."

Jim cocked his head: past tense. No. Oh no, no, _no_. "Bring him to me. Or bring me his corpse. Either way, you have five seconds."

"He is... how do you say... gone from this place. Nothing left."

The Irishman took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting it out. He opened them, staring straight at Tomas. "Fine. That's the way you want to play, then that's the way you'll _get_." Jim made a gesture with his hand... and the warehouse suddenly burst into flames and explosions, the cries of the men still trapped inside echoing as they burned. The Leader spun around, staring in horror as the building went up then crying shrilly in pain as his arms were seized and forced behind him, his wrists bound with barbed wire. Every move he made dug the metal into his flesh, and between the man behind him and the building ahead, Tomas charged right into the ruined warehouse, running until he tripped and fell, skidding to a halt on his face.

Jim had two guards retrieve the man and bring him out. Tomas Marron's face was a bleeding wreck from where he had fallen and scraped it on the harsh concrete, his hands and wrists were bleeding from the barbed wire that bound him, and his once-pristine suit was covered in ash and blood. Jim flicked open his switchblade and made his threats before severing an ear. The sounds of the man's pain were music to his ears.

"This is just the beginning. You have crossed every line, broken every treaty and every rule... and now you are paying the price for it. I've been told I'm the Devil, and I have come to collect. You will be something even the maggots won't touch by the time I'm through with you. I will ask you again, and you had better answer me. _Where. Is. Sebastian_?"

The once proud and confident man was a sobbing wreck before the consulting criminal. "P-please... no more of this... I beg of you, Señor-"

"Beg? Oh, you can beg. You can plead until your lying tongue drops out of your head. Or, more likely, until I cut it out. But you will be shown no mercy. You have taken what is _mine_. And that is a very, _very_ dangerous place to stand. Although, you won't be standing anymore." Jim had circled the man while he was talking; now he was behind him. With a flick of his knife, he severed the Achilles tendon and cut deep into the hamstring muscles on the back of the thighs.

The Belizean screamed, pitching forward to the ground and smacking his head on the concrete. "I do not- know!!"

"You _lie_. You gave your men orders to take him. _Where. Did. They. Go_?" Jim placed his foot on the back of the man's neck and pressed, pressed hard so that he was gasping and choking for air.

"Th-the- CLIFFS!"

"Which direction?"

"EAST!"

Jim let up the pressure. He cast his eyes eastward to the thick jungle and a smile played about his lips. "Thank you for your information. And now... I do believe we have a nice place for you." He snapped his fingers and the guards dragged him off. "There should be a fire ant hill close by. And it won't be too far from where the peccaries go to drink in the evening. Hungry little things, aren't they?" he said.

"N-no... PLEASE! Se _n_ or! SEÑOR!!!"

The consulting criminal grabbed a fistful of the man's hair and dragged it back so his head was stretched uncomfortably far. "Too little, too _late_. If you had _ever_ wanted to see the light of the next dawn, you should have listened to your betters. Now... you know what happens when you take what is _mine_." Jim hissed into the man's remaining ear.

"S-still alive... he's s-still alive."

"I know. If he were not... this village would be razed to the ground."

"He did n-not betray you... Se _n_ or..." Tomas's eyes began to close, exhaustion and shock taking over his system

Jim took a sharp breath. Then he took his knife and buried it deep into the other man's shoulder. "I know. He would never betray me," Jim hissed as he twisted the blade.

The Leader snapped back to himself with a bloody scream that slowly morphed into a weak chuckle. "Then you should better hurry, Señor... he was _dying_ to be reunited... with his _husband_."

Jim felt the very real, very cold touch of fear. "Get him out of my sight," he spat. He took his knife and wiped it clean. "We need to get moving. _Now_."


	9. The Cliffs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will he get there in time?

Sebastian drifted in and out of consciousness as the van trundled through the winding roads. HIs captors didn't bother to try and keep him awake anymore, so intent were they on moving him to the next place. It was easy now to track the van, since they knew where it was headed: a small compound on some cliffs. Jim pressed his hands into the dashboard until his knuckles were white and the plastic groaned in complaint under his strength. "Move, move, move, move, _move_. We need to get there _now._ "

The car came screeching to a halt, throwing Seb headfirst into the van wall. He could feel the blood trickling from his scalp as the world spun and the men dragged him by his hurt arm from the vehicle. He barely had enough strength left in him to cry out in pain. _Going soft_ he thought absently.

It took another three hours to follow the other van, and Jim's heartbeat jumped when he saw the compound. He had the men park the cars a good distance away and surround it while he went in, alone. Armed, but alone. He knocked hard, four times, on the door, and smirked. "Jim Moriarty. Hiiiii..."

The was a scramble behind the door and a fair amount of cursing. " _Go away, please. Nothing for you here._ "

He snarled. "Oh I do believe you have something of mine. And if you don't want to be blown to bits in three seconds, you will return to me what you took."

One... two... -click-

Jim pushed the door open to see the men crowded like frightened rabbits, backs to the walls, hands on their weapons. He saw what he wanted... _who_ he wanted, and he glared at them. "You will help me treat his wounds. Then you will help me bring him to the car. And if you do this quickly and without complaint, I will consider granting you mercy," he spat. He went and knelt by Seb as they scrambled to obey. "Oh my Tiger... my sweet Sebastian..." he murmured, in a voice low enough for only the man on the floor to hear.

The blonde twitched, groaning in pain; he could hear every thunderous footstep with his ear to the floor. "H-hiya..." he mumbled, weakly spitting blood from chapped, cracked, scabbed lips.

The consulting criminal pulled Seb's head into his lap. "I've got you, my love. I have you. I'm bringing you back," he said, stroking the matted blonde hair away from his husband's face.

"Owwwwwwww," was the whimpered reply. "Huuuuurts."

The medical supplies were brought in front of Jim for scrutiny. "It's going to hurt a little worse in a bit. We're getting you cleaned and patched up, dearest. Then we're off home. I swear it. No more interruptions after that."

Seb was barely hanging on to consciousness when Jim laid him down flat on his back and cut the remains of his shirt and makeshift bandages away. "Tiger's all stripey," he whispered.

"I can see that. Now hold still... this is going to sting," Jim said, taking a cloth doused with rubbing alcohol and swiping it over the wounds, cleaning them from dirt and disinfecting them as well.

"OWWWWWWWWW," Sebastian roared, the sharp, cold pain bringing him fully back into his body and smack into the center of how much physical agony he was in. "MAKE IT STOP!"

" _Easy_ , Tiger. This is to make it better. When I'm done, I'll stop. I promise," Jim said, trying his best to be firm but comforting.

The sniper was gasping for breath until he calmed down enough and clenched his fists tight. "Just hurry," he ground out through his teeth. "Fast as you can."

"I'm doing it as fast as I can, my love, my only. But these sons of dogs worked you over in the worst way," Jim murmured, cleaning out a particularly deep gouge.

The larger man twisted, nearly wrenching his arm from his husband's grip. "S-sorry."

"Please, don't apologize. It's not your fault," he said, resting his forehead on Seb's. Soon, the last wound was cleaned and the bandages were secured. Jim had two of the men help Seb up and they walked him to one of Jim's cars, the doors open and the lush interior inviting.

The blonde man very nearly cried as he was helped into the car and buckled in, relaxing instantly in the chair that smelled so strongly of Jim The younger man nodded and the two thugs scurried back to the compound. He sat next to Seb and the convoy of cars began to leave. When they were a good distance away, he gave the order. " _Burn it_."

Sebastian fell asleep in the car to the distant reverberations of explosions and screaming.


	10. Tiger's Gotcha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally together

They finally made it back to the villa. Jim had Seb carried to their bed and gently laid upon it; then he had the very best of his men on perimeter guard. No one would be getting into the villa without his knowledge or consent.

Then Seb slept.

He slept for an entire day, barely moving while Jim watched him sleep and paced the length of the room so often that he was surprised that he didn't wear a rut into the floor. Finally, when it was getting close to noon on the second day, Seb stirred. The older man groaned and thrashed in the bed, hissing as he put pressure on his wounds and crying for Jim. "No- stop- let'imgo- JIM!"

Jim leapt over a chair and was on the empty side of the bed in three seconds flat. "Seb... Sebby, my love. My husband, wake up. I'm here... _you're_ here. You're safe," he said, gently shaking him by the shoulders.

Blue eyes snapped open, unfocused and unseeing, but he could feel Jim's hands and smell the man, instantly relaxing. "Thank god," he croaked.

Jim nearly collapsed on the bed. He was exhausted; he hadn't slept since Seb had gone missing. He curled up next to his husband, holding him as close and as tightly as he could without adding pressure to his injuries.

"Jimmy," Sebastian murmured, wrapping his good arm around the smaller man. "Y'need sleep, y'idiot. Human... after all..."

"Can't sleep without you here. You're what keeps me human," Jim said, his eyes already drooping as Seb's arm wrapped around him.

"Need water b'fore y'sleep, luv."

Jim whined but got up and drank some water. "You need some too," he said, bringing an ice cold glass to Seb, helping the larger man sit up. He guided the rim of the glass to Seb's lips and watched as he greedily drank.

Seb practically chugged the glass, moaning in pleasure. "Never- anything- so- good- more-"

"Take it slow, Tiger. Don't want you getting sick. Hold on, I'll get you more," Jim said gently as he went and fetched more water, filling a pitcher and placing it on the table beside the bed.

Slowing down, Seb sipped at the glass, letting the cool, crisp liquid pour through his damaged body. "Got some new scars... I'm so _sorry_ , James."

"Don't you _dare_ apologize. It wasn't your fault. It never was your fault. It was... it was mine. I almost lost you because I let you go," Jim said, holding Seb closer, his eyes burning.

The blonde growled, biting gently at Jim's ear. "If you think I'm gonna let you blame yourself, you'll sleep on the couch for a week."

Jim nodded. "Can't blame anyone anymore. The fuckers who took you are all dead," he said, hissing the last words.

Blue eyes widened slightly. "Well... didn't expect anything less. I thought I was never gonna see you again, and I hadn't even fucking remembered to tell you that I love you!"

"I never told you, either. I thought you were gone. Permanently," Jim said. Unable to stop himself, the Irishman choked out a sob.

"I don't even think I can count on two fingers the number of times I've seen you cry, Magpie-love," Seb murmured. Ignoring the pain in his side that made him wince, he gathered Jim into his arms and held him against his chest. "Hear that? 'Smy heart, beating for you, luv."

Now Jim was really unable to stop himself. He wept openly, soaking Seb's skin with hot tears. "I t-thought I _lost_ you," he said, his voice broken.

Sebastian barely knew what to do and went with what felt natural; he gently rocked his crying husband, kissing the top of his head. "This is how I felt on the rooftop, luv. Hollow, carved out, empty, and dead... all because I thought I'd truly lost you,"

That made Jim sob harder, his still-frail body shaking with the force of his cries.

"Shhhhhhh, Tiger's here, Tiger's gotcha."

Eventually, Jim's weeping quieted and he fell asleep, head still pillowed on Seb's chest. Lulled and reassured by his Tiger's beating heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! The end... for now
> 
> We have no idea if we'll do more, but this was completely inspired by a comment from Tracy (thanks a billion!)
> 
> I would have continued with the 2 chapters a day gambit, but I get on a plain for ENGLAND tonight and hated leaving the story unfinished before I go.

**Author's Note:**

> WIPWIPWIPWIPWIPWIPWIPWIP
> 
> Wanted to give you a little taste/tease. And we apologize sincerely in advance for how potty posting this is going to be. We're heading back to school


End file.
